AllMovie

First broadcast in the U.K. by BBC1 under the title Arthur: King of the Britons, this hour-long documentary strives to go beyond the legends surrounding fifth century British monarch Arthur and uncover whatever facts that might exist. While the stories of the Lady in the Lake, the Sword in the Stone, the Round Table, Merlin, and Lancelot and Guinevere are like as not apocryphal, there is a sufficient body of research to indicate that Arthur himself did exist. He was probably not a British king (how could he be, since England itself did not formally exist?), but merely a powerful warlord -- and the chances that he was a staunch proponent of chivalry, democracy, and fair play are very slim indeed. Director Jean-Claude Bragard shot the film on those locations where Arthur probably lived and flourished, while computer animation recreates many of the "highlights" of his so-called reign. Richard Harris, who played Arthur in the 1967 film version of Camelot serves as the presenter and narrator. Shown in America as King Arthur, the special aired over the American cable service TLC on August 5, 2003, several months after Harris' death.